HNK Hajduk Split sits atop the HNL table with 16 points after seven rounds, with a key away match against Rijeka coming up this Saturday. Ivan Leko's side is on a five-game winning streak in all competitions, solidifying their status as title contenders.

Hajduk leads the league with five wins, one draw, and one loss from seven matches. They have scored 16 goals and conceded only five, giving them the best goal difference in the league at +11. NK Osijek trails by just one point in second place. Their last match was a 1-0 win over Slaven Belupo, with Dalisson scoring the only goal in the 22nd minute.

The most important fixture right now is the away trip to face Rijeka on Saturday, September 19th. Rijeka currently sits fifth in the table but defeated Hajduk 3-2 in their last meeting in March. This will be the first match of the eighth round. After this, the schedule becomes extremely congested due to European commitments. The next league round after Rijeka, in which Hajduk will be free due to European obligations, will be the ninth round of the HNL. All upcoming fixtures can be found on the fixtures page.

Hajduk has been entered into the Conference League and faces a demanding autumn. The first match against Ajax is scheduled for November 15th at 18:45. The second leg against Thun follows a week later. Matches against Lincoln Red Imps, Sint-Truidense, Nordsjaelland, and Midtjylland are planned for December. This means the team will have midweek games almost every week, requiring squad depth. The full squad and injury list can be checked on the squad page.

Hajduk's most efficient player so far this season is Marko Šego with four goals in seven appearances. He is a key part of an attacking line that has scored 11 goals in the last five league matches. In the recent win over Slaven Belupo, the assist for the winning goal was provided by Abdoulie Sanyang.

Hajduk enters a critical part of the season with confidence but also awareness of a tough schedule. A win against Rijeka on Saturday would be a strong signal to their rivals. Afterwards, the team turns to European challenges, with their next home league match after a series of away games not until November 9th against Dinamo.

First reported at 24sata Sport